Schirripa was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York and is a graduate of Brooklyn College. While working in Las Vegas as the entertainment director of the Riviera hotel and casino, Schirripa landed a bit part on Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino with Richard Riehle, appearing as a customer at the bar in the scene where Joe Pesci's character stabs a man with a pen. As a result of his experience on this film, Schirripa decided he wanted to become an actor.

His next film was the 1998 comedy Something About Sex (aka Denial), which starred Star Trek: Voyager guest actor Jason Alexander. He then made his television debut in a 1998 episode of the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope with Tom Wright.

In addition to his film roles, Schirripa's television work has included guest spots on Black Scorpion (with Robert Pine), George Lopez (with Autumn Reeser), Ed, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the original Law & Order (with Vyto Ruginis as his defense attorney). He also appeared in Peter Falk's last Columbo movie, 2003's Columbo Likes the Nightlife, and, in 2008, he had a recurring role on the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. From 2004 through 2008, Schirripa co-hosted Spike TV's programming block Casino Cinema.

Some of Schirripa's live and reality television appearances include stints as a contestant on the game shows Million Dollar Password and Pyramid and being one of the celebrity judges on The Gong Show with Dave Attell. He has also been doing spots as "Steve the Judgmental Bastard" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Most recently, Schirripa and his Sopranos co-star Frank Vincent were seen as poker players in the next-to-last episode of Sci-Fi Channel's Stargate: Atlantis entitled "Vegas". Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo was a regular on this series at the time, but he did not have any scenes with Schirripa.